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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS LSM-253


International Radio Call Sign:
November - Victor - Echo - Sierra
 NVES
Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - American Campaign Medal
Bottom Row - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp)
LSM-1 Class Landing Ship Medium:
  • Laid down, 24 February 1944, at Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Newark, N.J.
  • Launched, 17 April 1944
  • Commissioned USS LSM-253, 9 May 1944, LT. Taylor W. Gray USNR in command
  • During WWII USS LSM-253 was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater:
    LSM Flotilla One, CDR. H. B. Taliaferro USN (28);
     LSM Group One, LCDR. P. L. O'Leary USNR;
     LSM Division Two and participated in the following campaign:

    Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
    Campaign and Dates
    Okinawa Gunto operation
    Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 8 to 18 May 1945

  • Following World War II USS LSM-253 was assigned to Occupation service in the Far East from 2 September to 9 December 1945
  • Decommissioned, 23 June 1947
  • Struck from the Naval Register, date unknown
  • USS LSM-253 earned one battle star for World War II service
  • Sold, 23 December 1947, to Foss Launch & Tug Co., Seattle, WA., fate unknown.
  • Final Disposition, fate unknown
    Specifications:
    Displacement 520 t.(light), 743 t. (landing) 1,095 t.(fully loaded)
    Length 203' 6" (ovl)
    Beam 34' 6"
    Draft
    light, 3' 6" forward, 7' 8" aft
    fully loaded, 6' 4" forward, 8' 3" aft
    Speed 13.2 kts. (max.), (928 tons displacement)
    Complement
    5 officers
    54 enlisted
    Armament
    one twin bow mounted 40mm gun
    four single 20mm gun mounts
    Vehicle/Boat Capacity 5 medium or 3 heavy tanks, or 6 LVT's, or 9 DUKW's
    Fuel Capacity
    Diesel 1,225 Bbls
    Troop Accommodations
    2 officers
    46 enlisted
    Armor 10-lb. STS splinter shield to gun mounts, pilot house and conning station
    Endurance 4,900 miles @ 12kts.(928 tons displacement)
    Propulsion
    two Fairbanks Morse (model 38D81/8X10, reversible with hydraulic clutch) Diesel engines, direct drive with 1,440 BHP each @ 720rpm
    Ship's Service Generators
     two Diesel-drive 100Kw 450V A.C.
     one Diesel-drive 20Kw 120V D.C.
    twin propellers, 2,800shp
    Click On Image
    For Full Size Image    		 Size Image Description Contributed
    By
    LSM-253 63k LSM-253 under way, 8 May 1944, builder's completion photo, Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Fort Newark, NJ. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-253 71k LSM-253 under way, 8 May 1944, builder's completion photo, Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co., Fort Newark, NJ. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-253 23k LSM-253 under way, date and location unknown. Russ Padden
    LSM-253 63k LSM-253 under way, date and location unknown. USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-253 77k LSM-253 under way, date and location unknown.
    USNI photo    		 USS LSM / LSMR Association
    LSM-253 40k LSM-253 under way, date and location unknown.
    US Navy photo.    		 Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
    LSM-499
    101449905    		 409k Left to Right: USS LSM-253, USS LSM-499, USS LSM-122, Unknown LSM, USS LSM-103, beached at Matsuyama, Skikokyu, Japan, 18 October 1945 Paul Barrett for his father LTjg. Richard L Barrett, USNR USS LSM-499
    LSM-253
    101425307    		 225k LSM-253 beached at beached on west coast of Lan Wu to return the NAMRU II expedition to Taiwan, date unknown.
    US Navy BUMED photo # 09-8740-008    		 Michael G Rhode CIV USN BUMED
    The history extract for USS LSM-253 is from LSM-LSMR Amphibious Forces, Vol. II. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, © 1997. (ISBN 1-56311-389-9).
    Commanding Officers
    01LT. Gray, Taylor W., USNR9 May 1944 - March 1945
    02LT. Adams, Samuel P., USNRMay - August 1945
    03LT. McCarthy, William E., USNRAugust 1945 - January 1946
    04LTjg. Callan, William J., USNRJanuary 1946 - August 1946
    05LT. Blevins, Delmar Edge, USN August 1946 - 23 June 1947
    Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler
    Crew Contact And Reunion Information
    U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
    Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
    Action Report - Landing of Occupation Forces, Nagasaki Japan, September 1945
    Back To The Navsource Photo Archives Main Page Back To The Amphibious Ship Type Index Back To The Landing Ship Medium (LSM) Photo Index
    Comments, Suggestions, E-mail Webmaster.
    This page is created and maintained by Gary P. Priolo
    All pages copyright NavSource Naval History
    Last Updated 4 October 2022